X-ray examination device and method for producing undistorted X-ray images

• US 6,471,399 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Weese, Jürgen, Sabczynski, Jorg, Zylka, Waldermar
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiknadze, Irakli
• Application Number:
  US09/601,894
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 378/207, 378/65, 378/4, 378/62, 378/164
• US Class Current: 378/207
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms

Abstract

In an X-ray examination device and a method for generating distortion-free X-ray images the imaging properties are calculated and distortions are corrected by providing at least one calibration member (7, 8) for forming a reference pattern; a correction unit (13) corrects the distortions in X-ray images on the basis of the pattern of the calibration members (7, 8) actually formed in the patient X-ray image (FIG. 4) and the calculated reference pattern.

Claims

1. An X-ray examination apparatus including an image processing unit, comprising:

first and second calibration members constructed to be transparent to x-rays, in disc-form and arranged in an X-ray beam path of the x-ray examination apparatus;

a position measuring device for detecting a spatial relationship between the first and second calibration members, where the image processing unit forms a reference pattern based on said detected spatial relationship; and

a correction unit for correcting distortions in an X-ray image having a patient image and the reference pattern on the basis of the reference pattern.

2. An X-ray examination apparatus comprising:

a first calibration member provided on an x-ray source;

a second calibration member provided on an x-ray image intensifier;

a position measuring device for measuring a position of said first and second calibration member as arranged on said X-ray source and said x-ray image intensifier, respectively;

an arithmetic unit for calculating a reference pattern from known dimensions of said X-ray examination apparatus and the measured positions of said first and second calibration members;

a correction unit for correcting distortions in an X-ray image having a patient image and the reference pattern on the basis of the reference pattern; and

a display unit for displaying the X-ray image.

3. The X-ray examination apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the positions of said first and said second calibration members are detectable by an indicator device and a plurality of reference sensors.

4. A method of forming distortion-free X-ray images, said method comprising:

providing first and second calibration members in a path of an x-ray beam at measured first and second respective positions;

calculating a reference pattern associated with the at least one of said first and second calibration members based on said measured first and second positions;

forming an X-ray image including a patient image and the reference pattern; and

correcting distortions of the patient image on the basis of the reference pattern.

5. An X-ray examination apparatus for providing an X-ray image including a patient image, comprising:

a first calibration member for forming a first reference pattern in the X-ray image;

a second calibration member for forming a second reference pattern in the X-ray image; and

a correction unit for correcting any distortions of the patent image in the X-ray image on a basis of a positional relationship of the first calibration member and the second calibration member.

6. A method of providing an X-ray image including a patient image without any distortions, said method comprising:

calculating a positional relationship of a first calibration member and a second calibration member;

forming the X-ray image including the patient image, a first reference pattern formed by the first calibration member, and a second reference pattern formed by the second calibration member; and

correcting any distortions of the patent image in the X-ray image on a basis of the positional relationship of the first calibration member and the second calibration member.